Differences in Gastrointestinal Symptoms According to Gender in Rome II Positive IBS and Dyspepsia in a Latin American Population

Objectives: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, and bloating are more prevalent in women than men, but gender differences associated with dyspepsia are inconsistent.The aim of this study was to determine gender differences in the prevalence of symptoms diagnostic for functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in subjects with IBS and dyspepsia, as well as in controls in Mexico.

Methods: A database of 1,021 subjects (61% women) who completed the Rome II Modular Questionnaire (RIIMQ) in Spanish Mexico was analyzed. Gender differences in the frequency of all symptoms included in the RIIMQ between those fulfilling criteria for IBS (28.9%), dyspepsia (4.0%) and controls without any FGIDs (38.2%) were studied. Subjects fulfilling criteria only for other FGIDs were excluded.

Results: There were higher proportions of women with IBS (67.8%) and dyspepsia (85.4%) compared with the control group (55.9%) (P<0.001). In IBS, women more frequently reported changes in the number of bowel movements (BMs) associated with the onset of abdominal discomfort/pain, fewer than three BMs/week and abdominal fullness/bloating/swelling than men. Men with IBS more frequently reported swallowing air to belch and abdominal pain that improved after a BM than women. In controls, burping and hard or lumpy stools were both more frequent in men.

Conclusions: In Mexico, gender differences in FGIDs exist, with both IBS and dyspepsia being more common in women than men. In IBS, symptoms related to constipation and bloating were more common in women, but the dyspepsia group was too small to draw any conclusions. Finally, this is the first study to report that belching is more common in men than women controls not fulfilling criteria for any FGID.